The triumphant true story of a woman who rode her horse across America in the 1950s, fulfilling her dying wish to see the Pacific Ocean, from the number-one New York Times best-selling author of The Perfect Horse and The Eighty-Dollar Champion“The gift Elizabeth Letts has is that she makes you feel you are the one taking this trip. This is a book we can enjoy always but especially need now.” (Elizabeth Berg, author of The Story of Arthur Truluv)In 1954, 63-year-old Maine farmer Annie Wilkins embarked on an impossible journey. She had no money and no family, she had just lost her farm, and her doctor had given her only two years to live. But Annie wanted to see the Pacific Ocean before she died. She ignored her doctor’s advice to move into the county charity home. Instead, she bought a cast-off brown gelding named Tarzan, donned men’s dungarees, and headed south in mid-November, hoping to beat the snow. Annie had little idea what to expect beyond her rural crossroads; she didn’t even have a map. But she did have her ex-racehorse, her faithful mutt, and her own unfailing belief that Americans would treat a stranger with kindness.Annie, Tarzan, and her dog, Depeche Toi, rode straight into a world transformed by the rapid construction of modern highways. Between 1954 and 1956, the three travelers pushed through blizzards, forded rivers, climbed mountains, and clung to the narrow shoulder as cars whipped by them at terrifying speeds. Annie rode more than 4,000 miles, through America’s big cities and small towns. Along the way, she met ordinary people and celebrities - from Andrew Wyeth (who sketched Tarzan) to Art Linkletter and Groucho Marx. She received many offers - a permanent home at a riding stable in New Jersey, a job at a gas station in rural Kentucky, even a marriage proposal from a Wyoming rancher. In a decade when car ownership nearly tripled, when television’s influence was expanding fast, when homeowners began locking their doors, Annie and her four-footed companions inspired an outpouring of neighborliness in a rapidly changing world. Read more

2020 Reprint of 1940 Edition. The Negro Motorist Green Book was an annual guidebook for African American road trippers. It was originated and published by African American, New York City mailman Victor Hugo Green from 1936 to 1966, during the era of Jim Crow laws, when open and often legally prescribed discrimination against African Americans especially and other non-whites was widespread. Although pervasive racial discrimination and poverty limited black car ownership, the emerging African American middle class bought automobiles as soon as they could, though they faced a variety of dangers and inconveniences along the road, from refusal of food and lodging to arbitrary arrest. In response, Green wrote his guide to services and places relatively friendly to African Americans, eventually expanding its coverage from the New York area to much of North America, as well as founding a travel agency. Many Black Americans took to driving, in part to avoid segregation on public transportation. As the writer George Schuyler put it in 1930, "all Negroes who can do so purchase an automobile as soon as possible in order to be free of discomfort, discrimination, segregation and insult." Black Americans employed as athletes, entertainers, and salesmen also traveled frequently for work purposes. Shortly after passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed the types of racial discrimination that had made the Green Book necessary, publication ceased, and it fell into obscurity. There has been a revived interest in it in the early 21st century in connection with studies of black travel during the Jim Crow era. Read more

A comprehensive guide to car ownership and maintenance intended for anyone—regardless of age, gender or experience. When did you last pick up a book about cars? Typically written for men, particularly automotive enthusiasts and mechanics, these books rarely appeal to the everyday car owner. Mechanic Shop Femme’s Guide to Car Ownership is different. Automotive educator, journalist, and social media influencer Chaya M. Milchtein is a queer woman who has spent the last decade deeply entrenched in the automotive industry.   In a country where economic injustices disproportionately impact marginalized people, particularly people of color and the LGBTQ+ community, a reliable car and an excellent relationship with a quality mechanic is vital to climb out of poverty. Chaya understands that a vehicle is an economic necessity that can provide access to career opportunities, financial security, and physical safety. She also understands that queer folks and women often find it daunting to buy a car and, subsequently, deal with the realities of getting it insured and repaired.    In Mechanic Shop Femme’s Guide to Car Ownership, Chaya speaks to readers of all identities and socio-economic backgrounds, arming them with the necessary knowledge to navigate the intimidating automotive industry. At its core, this book is an accessible and comprehensive guide that will put readers at ease by providing them with basic knowledge about car ownership and maintenance. From buying a car, to getting it insured, finding the perfect mechanic, and dealing with car emergencies, Chaya encourages her audience to make educated decisions regarding their vehicles.    Mechanic Shop Femme’s Guide to Car Ownership is a must-have—one that will last readers through a lifetime of car ownership. Read more

Would you like to know how you'll be getting around town, playing, and working in the future?At the 2017 World Government Summit, Tesla founder Elon Musk proclaimed: "In 10 years, it will be very unusual for cars to be built that are not fully autonomous."Take a look at the vehicle sitting in your driveway. It may be the last one you ever own. With an estimated 33 million fully autonomous cars and taxis projected to hit the road by 2040, an automotive renaissance is soon to be upon us. Personal car ownership currently costs the average sedan owner $9,000 annually. But car ownership may soon be a thing of the past.Autonomous vehicles will be the most disruptive technology ever deployed by mankind.They'll change the way we eat, cook, and shop.They'll change the way we raise our children and the way we choose our spouses.They'll change the way we display our wealth and status.They'll change the way we build cities and design our homes.They'll change the way we dispense charity and the way we think about work.And, most importantly, they'll change the way that we think about each other and the way we see ourselves.Since 1900, 3.7 million Americans have died in motor vehicle accidents (about 35,000 per year). But we will soon exit these "dark ages" of transportation. Thanks to several recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, we are about to usher in a new age - one in which auto collisions, traffic jams, and road fatalities almost never happen.Soon, autonomous vehicles (of all shapes and sizes) will roam the city streets - delivering your pizza, dropping off your latest order from Amazon, and safely driving your children to school - under the watchful guidance of a dozen digital sensors.We're about to embark on a fantastic voyage. A journey that will bring about a new age of technological enlightenment, with the potential to produce a world of great abundance - if we can avoid screwing it all up. In this book, we'll talk about the many potholes that lie on the road to the future. And we'll discuss how you can be economically prepared for the transportation revolution that is currently underway.Ready to learn more?If you'd like to know what the future has in store for you, then get the audiobook today!PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio. Read more

2023 Reprint of the 1961 Edition. The Negro Motorist Green Book was an annual guidebook for African American road trippers. It was originated and published by African American mailman Victor Hugo Green from 1936 to 1966, during the era of Jim Crow laws, when open and often legally prescribed discrimination against African Americans especially and other non-whites was widespread. Although pervasive racial discrimination and poverty limited black car ownership, the emerging African American middle class bought automobiles as soon as they could, though they faced a variety of dangers and inconveniences along the road, from refusal of food and lodging to arbitrary arrest. In response, Green wrote his guide to services and places relatively friendly to African Americans, eventually expanding its coverage from the New York area to much of North America, as well as founding a travel agency. Many Black Americans took to driving, in part to avoid segregation on public transportation. As the writer George Schuyler put it in 1930, "all Negroes who can do so purchase an automobile as soon as possible in order to be free of discomfort, discrimination, segregation and insult." Black Americans employed as athletes, entertainers, and salesmen also traveled frequently for work purposes. Shortly after passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed the types of racial discrimination that had made the Green Book necessary, publication ceased, and it fell into obscurity. There has been a revived interest in it in the early 21st century in connection with studies of black travel during the Jim Crow era. Read more

Satisfy your dream collector-car desires with this one-stop reference for starting or expanding your collection beyond traditional classics and muscle cars. Focusing on the interests and needs of Generation X and Millennial car collectors, The NextGen Guide to Car Collecting offers a concise history of car collecting to present day, guidance on car buying and living the car-collector life, and an overview of collector cars with a focus on cars built from the 1970s through the 1990s while also touching on more contemporary cars. Chapters highlight Japanese, American, and European cars, particularly those models that have experienced the greatest growth in collector interest over the past decade.  The NextGen Guide to Car Collecting explores the many ways the Internet and social media have changed the classic car marketplace. You’ll learn how to buy a classic car online without suffering buyer’s remorse, as well as the four critical keys to a happy collector-vehicle relationship: 1) possessing discretionary cash for the initial purchase; 2) obtaining a thorough knowledge of the car and its ownership; 3) the critical pre-purchase inspection; and 4) access to a work space.   You’ll also find out why the popularity of late twentieth-century specialty cars will continue to grow (think increasing electronic complication and the still-large number of enthusiasts for whom “self-driving” means driving themselves) and explore the attributes that makes these cars desirable collector vehicles. In addition, the book looks at the significant increases in quality and reliability of post-1970s machines and how that impacts their collectibility. Finally, learn why expectations that your newfound classic could outlast our current crop of lithium-ion-dependent electric cars may not be unrealistic: recent developments like ride-hailing and sharing services; expanded public transit; rental bikes and scooters; and garage condos and other storage options could actually extend the life of your “new” classic permitting you to truly tailor the use of your classics. Whether your collection requires a one-stall garage or a pole barn, the practical, useful information and keen perspective of The NextGen Guide to Car Collecting will ensure you pull this volume from your shelf time and again. Read more

Drive into the 21st century in an electric carWith falling cost of ownership, expanded incentives for purchasing, and more model and body type options than ever, it may finally be time to retire the old gas-guzzler and dive into the world of electric car ownership. Electric Cars For Dummies is your guide to becoming lightning powered, reducing your carbon footprint, and saving money on gas while you do it. This book teaches you how to select the battery-charged vehicle that fits your need and budget. It also offers insight into how to maintain your electric car, including answering all your questions about charging your vehicle. Calculate the total cost of ownership, prep your home to become one huge charger, and demystify the battery, the tune-ups and more. Learn the difference in cost of ownership and emissions between electric and gas-powered vehiclesExplore your options and find an electric car that fits in your budgetKnow when and how to charge your vehicle, and what kind of maintenance it needsFigure out how to charge your car on the goThis is the perfect book for new and would-be electric car owners looking for guidance on buying and maintaining one of these super sleek machines. Read more